Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who famously warned internet has become ‘less human’, now says AI ‘can cause a lot of harm’

Alexis Ohanian's assessment points to a fundamental change in how digital content is produced and consumed. If AI agents are indeed generating more content than human users, the internet's informational landscape will increasingly be shaped by automated systems. This trend could reduce the core appeal of social media, which historically relied on human-to-human interaction and user-generated contributions.

The challenges faced by Reddit illustrate a direct consequence of this shift. When AI-powered search tools can provide information directly, users may bypass traditional platforms. This reduction in traffic affects the business models of social media companies that depend on user engagement for advertising revenue or other services. The utility of these platforms as intermediaries for information discovery diminishes.

Ohanian's remark about the web's design focus changing suggests that future online environments might need to adapt to a reality where AI is a primary content creator or consumer. This could lead to new interface designs or content filtering mechanisms aimed at distinguishing human contributions from machine-generated content, rather than solely optimizing for human social interaction.

The concern that AI "can cause a lot of harm" to online conversations and user interactions, as voiced by Ohanian, extends beyond mere platform relevance. While the specific mechanisms are not detailed, this suggests potential negative impacts on the quality of discourse, the prevalence of misinformation, or the authenticity of online relationships.